The present invention relates to electronic price label (EPL) systems, and more specifically to a system and method of displaying random weight item information by EPLs.
EPL systems typically include a plurality of EPLs for each merchandise item in a transaction establishment. EPLs typically display the price of corresponding merchandise items on transaction establishment shelves and are typically attached to a rail along the leading edge of the shelves. A transaction establishment may contain thousands of EPLs to display the prices of the merchandise items. The EPLs are coupled to a central server from where information about the EPLs is typically maintained in an EPL data file. Price information displayed by the EPLs is obtained from a price look-up (PLU) file.
Some merchandise items vary in price based upon their weight. Such merchandise items may either be weighed and priced in the transaction establishment, or weighed and priced by the suppliers. In the latter case, suppliers typically embed total price information in a product identification code, such as a bar code. For example, an EAN (formerly European Article Number, now International Article Number) product identification code contains a random weight price if the first two characters are between twenty and twenty-nine. A UPC (Universal Product Code) product identification code contains a random weight price if the NSC (Number System Characterxe2x80x94the first character of a scannable bar code) code is xe2x80x982xe2x80x99.
A good example is a pre-wrapped package of steaks. The package has a bar code label which contains a human-readable price and also a bar code. The bar code begins with a xe2x80x982xe2x80x99 followed by a few numbers identifying the product, and then the price. When a bar code reader reads the bar code, it strips out the price.
Since many random weight items having different total prices may be located together on a store shelf, total price information displayed by an EPL associated with such items would be unreliable.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method of displaying information about random weight items which identifies random weight items and instructs associated EPLs to either leave a total price display area blank or display other information instead.
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a system and method of displaying random weight item information by electronic price labels (EPL) is provided.
The system includes a computer system coupled to the electronic price label, including a terminal and a storage medium coupled to the terminal. The storage medium contains an electronic price label data file, which contains identification information for an item. The computer terminal reads the electronic price label data file to obtain the identification information for the item, determines from the identification information whether the item is the random weight item, and, if the item is the random weight item, sends a message to the electronic price label instructing the electronic price label to display only unit price information.
The method includes the steps of reading an electronic price label data file to obtain identification information for an item associated with the electronic price label, determining from the identification information whether the item is the random weight item, and, if the item is the random weight item, sending a message to the electronic price label instructing the electronic price label to display only unit price information.
In a first embodiment, the computer sends a message to the electronic price label instructing the electronic price label to display the unit price information in a unit price portion of a display within the electronic price label and to clear a total price portion of the display.
In a first embodiment, the computer sends a message to the electronic price label instructing the electronic price label to display the unit price information in a unit price portion and in a total price portion of a display within the electronic price label.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a system and method of displaying random weight item information by EPLs.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method of displaying random weight item information by EPLs which detects random weight item information.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method of displaying random weight item information by EPLs which displays price information including only a unit price for a random weight item.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method of displaying random weight item information by EPLs which displays a unit price for a random weight item in both a unit price portion and a total price portion.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method of displaying random weight item information by EPLs which displays a unit price for a random weight item in a unit price portion and clears a total price portion of the EPL.